Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-30
e,JE.s TURTLE.

flow He CAPTURED tho Creature, and How
He Got 1t Home.
Abijah was strollinS along the creek
that ran through the stump lot few
rods back from his fathers house. He
wore rs a protection against dirt Il
blue gingham over-garment, made aft
er the fashion of mans shirt, and
reaching to his knees. He could walk
when he had it on. but if he wished to
make gigantic strides. he must needs
hold the skirt of it up.
Sometimes, as he rambled. ne
jumped over a stump, and sometimes
nc threw sticks into the stream; and
once and finally he lay down at full
length upon an overhanging grassy
bank. where the stream was deep still.
and with his face over the edge looked
down into the water.
As he lay, wondering if fish
wouldn't ''look comipal'' if it had ears
like hounds, and if, in such a case.
it would be likely to step ON its ears
and stumble, movement in the wa
ter arrested his attention, and. after a
moment of wide-eyed gazing, he
reached down and pulled out into the
dry light of day huge snapping-tur-
tie
With the same motion that drew the
turtle from the water he threw it
several feet from him out on the green
sward. and with his heart beating
faster than its wont he rose and
watched il perform" 1t had fallen
upon its back. and when it had rallied
it's astonishcd and scattered wits it
thrust out his head and its rough white
neck. and placing its head on the
ground. turned itself over.
1t seemed to Bile that the turtle
looked at him and deficd him. 1t
needed no challenge to make him
afraid of it; he was afraid already.
But he took long stick and poked it;
and it Kissed and spat like an angry
cat. and snapped fiercely at the stick.
and raised itself up from the ground on
its feet, and Kissed more and worse, he
whispered. in his terrified heart;
-'Landy! I'll keep away from vou"'
! Il je was not intimately acquainted
with turtles. and it occurred to him.
rs he was pokins at this one. that for
aught he knew it might, when its
patience was gone, fly at him and
/: so:atoh his eyes out; and he thence
forth confined his operations to very
: gently preventing it from returning to
T, the water.
He had heard his grandmother tell
>of cooking "mortal great turkle"
sss.at his grandfather caught when the
family twas moving in a wagon out to
Indianny." and he recalled mouth
watering statements relative to the de-
aiGousncss of the said turkle sand of
other turklcs." He remembered hear
ing too that Il man who lived over on
the saw-mill road had put turtle into
his swill barrel, where it had fattened
mntil it was just right to eat; and Bile
said TO himself that he would put his
turtle into the family swill barrel. and
have it for dinner on his birthday.
As he sa. contentcdly on stump
keeping guard he pictured to himself
his turtle grown amazingly delicious
aud too large to live longer in the
swill barrel. and thea far more deli
cious and too big to be comfortable in
the mill-pond; and so did his imagina-
ton run riot that he was about to
Behold it absolutely enshrouded in de-
liciousness. and as large as the sandy
lot, when he was confronted by dis
nal problem-how to get the creature
home
Ii was useless to call for his mother.
for she was across the road from the
house picking berries. If he left the
turtle and went for help. it was certain
40 GO back into the creek; and as far as
carrying it home by the tail. not he
not while it had head!
After mature deliveration. he made
a moose in the end of cord and APP.
preached the turtle from behind and
tried 10 lasso its tail. intending tc
march triumphantly home with the
SeaSt IN tOws out tiltS was tail tna'
loved liberty. and it refused to be las.
:socd. At last, grown desperate. he re
solved to drive two stakes into thu
ground. about eight inches apart, and
'.shOo" the turtle toward them unit
THE front of its she'll was between
them. aud then drive two more stick:
close behind it. and 60 and get hi:
mother and the grain shovel and /:
Aushcl basket.
As he went in search of the first stake
to be driven in this deep plot. h,
noted. to his great annoyance. the ap
preach of his fathers spotted calf TIL,
calf in its infancy had licked the fill
ing out of custard pie that hi
another had made for him and set on
on q bench to cool. and it had raj
Shway when he was leading it by
rope. and dragged him through three
distinct mud puddles and five ripe Gu
.cumbers; and when he resolved. as h
did resolve. that if his life were spare,
The would protect the calf from tn
,turtle, it was not that he loved the cal